Awfully Common
by abaculus
Summary: Alfred Jones was never the best, the greatest; he was just... Alfred. Bullied, yet trying his best to be liked, Alfred is ecstatic when he finds out about the trip to England, a new chance. When he meets the boy he will be staying with... well, things only seem to go up from there. USUK, homohobic slurs, the rest will be determined in later chapters. T, possibly will become M.


**Chapter 1**

The lack of response to Alfred's text made him nervous—too nervous—and normally a text not responded to every once-in-awhile was okay, but Matthew, his Canadian half-brother, _always _answered, whether it be in a few seconds or a day, but never over a span of more than two-and-a-half days. That was a complete sin to the boy. So when this had been the eighteenth response-less text over four days… there was a problem.

As he finished packing his books into his bag for school, Alfred checked his phone one last time. Nothing. He threw his head back and slipped his phone into his back pocket.

* * *

The walk to school was a bore. It's not like he had many friends. He was always bullied, and his best friend was this quiet student named Kiku who moved to the US from Japan halfway through last year. He would say it was Matthew, but they were a grade apart; Matthew a sophomore as of this year, Alfred a junior. There wasn't anything wrong with Kiku, but Alfred sometimes wished he talked more. His brother spoke quietly, but he at least would ramble on and on in comparison to Kiku's one-worded replies.

The silence hung heavily around him in the thick morning air. Dew collected on the blades of grass of neatly trimmed yards. Birds chirped from the trees as dogs barked from behind fences or windows. Morning's songs were peaceful, but Alfred still wished he had someone to talk, walk with… some people can do that. Their presence makes everything more melodic, cheerful. Alfred's presence did the opposite of that. He wasn't all too sure how. He honestly thought he could make the light seem just that much brighter when he walked into a room. Guess not.

It was drooping eyelids and obscene gestures that greeted him when he entered the doors to the school. He still attempted to smile brightly and wave at almost every person he ran into. "Hi, Gilbert!" he waved to an upperclassman.

"Shut up, fag," was all he got in response.

Either way, he still smiled and laughed. "Have a good day!"

He really tried to get people to like him. He did. And yeah, his tries always failed, but that's okay because one day it will all pay-off. His hard work will pay-off. Maybe that day wasn't for another ten years, but it'll come someday.

His smile widened as he entered his first-period.

* * *

It was during lunch that the news about the trip came to be known.

"All juniors will be given a chance to go to England this year. Now, I'm not guaranteeing all of you, got it? So get your head outta the clouds, stop dreaming. Only a handful of you'll get to go. First twenty to apply. Got it?"

There was a collective murmur of agreement that passed throughout the room as heads nodded. Alfred was practically shaking with excitement and eagerness. He collected the needed forms on his way out of the cafeteria, eyes watering from the pain of his wide grin.

* * *

"Mom," he slammed the papers down onto the kitchen counter, "I need to go on this trip."

His mother looked up from her spot where she was perfectly dicing onion. "Bring it over here. Let me read it." He did as she said and held up the forms for her to read. She cleared her throat:

"Juniors only… first twenty to sign-up…. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for your child, yada, yada, yada. Oh. Yes, here it is. Cost is… oh. Alfred, how badly do you want to go on this trip?"

Alfred's eyes widened from behind his glasses. "This is my chance, Mom. I _need _to go. No joke. I am one-hundred-percent serious. When I get back, I'll do all the chores. No. I'll even do all the chores now. I just have to go on this trip-thing."

With a smile on her face, his mother nodded. "Alright. I understand how much this means to you. You can go. I'll get my checkbook. You'll need to get a job after this though."

"Okay. I can do that. I promise." There was a pause. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, darling."

* * *

Alfred ran into the office first thing. "I have it!" he panted. "The money! I have it! Even my form is filled out. And everything else. I got it done earlier in the year. I'm ready!"

Mrs Glen took the forms from him with a distasteful look upon her face. Her eyes scanned over them quickly, thin lips mouthing the words. When she finished, she slid the papers into a file before lifting her drab eyes to meet his. "Thank you, Alfred. You will receive a list of things you need in two days from now."

The teen released a large breath he was unaware of holding. "Thank you!" he beamed. "Oh my gosh, thank you!" He wrapped his arms around himself before rushing out to his first period.

/

_AN :: WOW AM I GLAD TO WRITE THIS (not rly i mean i am but… ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯) ok so like it has been soooo long since i've written anything hetalia-related so we all know this will be crap i also probably have like…...ten billion other fics i should be writing—hey phan is important k?—so yanno ;0_


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